Sapphire's Review Store 3.0

Review by Faye: Again

Title: Again

Author: StrikingSorrows

Reviewer: Fayesther

Blurb: 5/5

I love it when poets on Wattpad make the blurb of their poetry collections a short poem! It is so effective! It gives a little snippet to what's to come and if you can get across the general theme to your book in a small amount of well thought out words it is truly impressive. I have no qualms with your blurb whatsoever! A brilliant short poem, written really well!

Grammar: 5/5

No issues regarding grammar that I could notice. Your poems are beautifully punctuated and your choice of words is wonderful.

Writing Style: 4/5

Your poems flow wonderfully, with the use of short, choppy lines that work really well to display the deep emotions felt. It is great how you can express such complex emotions through such a small amount of words!

You include really well thought out rhyming schemes for the poems that needed them and those that didn't have a rhyming scheme held their own also. Every poem had a rhythm that was easy for the reader to follow! Excellent work!

I am not a fan of layouts where the alignment is changed from line to line. It only really works if it is done for a very specific reason. If that reason is not clear to the reader it comes across as unnecessary and makes the poem difficult to read.

That being said, there were poems within your collection that suited this chaotic layout! These poems were – "Scars" and "Sightless".

"Scars"- Having the words scattered across the page was really effective as they looked like many scars on the page. This was very clever. I also liked how each line had no more than two words. A very interesting piece!

"Sightless"- I came to the conclusion of the layout working for this piece when I read the line – "What's wrong with my mind." – that line made me think that your poem resembled a mind map, which I thought was pretty cool.

There is great imagery used within each poem, imagery that is handled in a simple but effective way that is truly enjoyable to read.

A line I really liked was "Our hardships have left their mark."

Originality: 5/5

I decided to write short reviews for each poem starting with "Part one: While the Darkness Reigned."

1. I liked the journey this poem took us on. We start in a dark place, then hope shows its head. Then the poem goes back to the dark place but with new hopeful thoughts. It was as if it came full circle but learned a new perspective on its course. Very deep.

2. I love how you repeat the word "again" that in itself is a very layered idea. You say "again" again and again in a poem called "again" (lol). This is such a cool idea!

3. A great exploration of someone who feels like a fraud behind their smile, trying to find kindred spirits. A beautiful idea to write about; full of emotion and is so relatable.

4. This is a poem that I could read over and over again and get a new story out of it each time. This poem is art! Very creative and impressive.

5. As I read this poem it felt like thoughts that are spiralling down further and further into a dark place. This was very interesting to read.

6. This poem has a classic feel to it. Written like a warning or an introduction to a horror story. The two questions at the end were a great addition to really drive home the ominous air it was portraying.

7. A poem about giving up. Really relatable and full of depressing imagery. A powerfully written piece.

8. A poem full of sadness, following a betrayal. A situation that produced a lack of trust in humanity. Beautifully written, with a storyline that is easy to follow. Describing in quick bursts how the other party made the poet feel at the start, then moving onto how they will cope as they move on (not very well it seems).

9. A poem that effectively explores two conflicting thoughts about what another day may bring. A great portrayal of positivity vs negativity.

10. This poem is s rollercoaster of emotion, going up and down. I love the last line "I die a little each night." Such a powerful ending to a powerful piece.

OVERALL SCORE: 19/20

A collection of poems that are full of great imagery and wonderful word choices that perfectly portray the themes included. I really like your use of short, punchy lines and rhetorical questions. The poems that have alignment changes within their structure (apart from "Scars" and "Sightless") would work better being written in a simpler format, in my opinion. That is my only qualm within your work. You are an incredible poet, who has written very moving verses. Keep up the good work!

Thank you for asking me to review this moving collection of poems! I hope you found my feedback helpful.